Tamiya 35026 - 1:35 Jerry Cans Set

Tamiya 35026 Jerry Cans Set for 1:35 dioramas

Cans strapped to fenders, drums standing beside a field refuelling point, a pile of containers next to a workshop – these are the details that organise a diorama and immediately place it in the reality of wartime supply. The Tamiya 35026 set provides them as a complete package: 18 jerry cans and 6 drums in 1:35 scale.

The cans come as 9 American and 9 German items, so you can equip both Allied and German vehicles. The drums are offered in two versions – three new ones with smooth surfaces and three dented ones showing heavy use. The set comes from 1973 tooling.

What is in the box:

• 9 American jerry cans
• 9 German jerry cans
• 3 new fuel drums
• 3 dented fuel drums

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Item number: 35026
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Type: diorama accessories
• Tooling: 1973

Assembly and painting required

The parts have to be removed from the sprues, cleaned up, assembled and painted. Cement, paints and modelling tools are not included in the set and must be obtained separately.

Use in a diorama:

• Stowage on vehicles – cans mounted on fenders, rear plates and stowage racks
• A field refuelling point or fuel dump with drums stacked or knocked over
• Cargo for a supply truck or trailer
• Details for a field workshop or repair area
• Dented drums as scenery for a wrecked depot or ruins

Tools you will need:

• Sprue cutters
• Hobby knife and files or sandpaper to clean up the parts
• Polystyrene cement
• Model paints, brushes or an airbrush
• Precision modelling tweezers

Jerry cans and drums – supply in the field:

The German standard fuel can, developed in the 1930s and introduced in 1936, is regarded as one of the most successful pieces of equipment design of its era. A 20 litre capacity, three handles that allowed one man to carry two cans or pass them along a chain, a lever closure that opened without tools and stamped ribs stiffening the walls – all of this led the Allies to copy the design. The English name jerrycan comes from the slang term for a German soldier.

The American version differed in detail: it had a single handle and a screw cap to which a separate flexible spout was fitted. Alongside the cans, steel drums of roughly 200 litres carried fuel, oils and lubricants to front-line units. Drums stood at field refuelling points, on supply trucks and in dumps – often bent and dented after being rolled many times, exactly like three of the six drums in this set.

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya is a Japanese company based in Shizuoka, active since 1946 – first as a timber business and, from the 1960s, as a manufacturer of plastic scale models. The brand built its reputation on precise tooling, good parts fit and clear instructions, which is why its kits are chosen by beginners and experienced modellers alike.

The 1:35 Military Miniature Series, to which this set belongs, covers military vehicles, figures and diorama accessories. A shared scale and consistent style make it easy to combine parts from different Tamiya sets in one scene, and classic accessories such as sandbags, jerry cans and fuel drums have been basic diorama equipment for decades.